Plant Gardens 101

So, you’ve got your flower garden set up. You’ve planted the flowers, some perennials here, a few annuals there. You’ve added a gazing ball, a bench, and some other accent pieces to help make your garden unique. But you’re still missing one thing. You’re missing the edging around the garden.

The edging around your garden is almost as important as the flowers. Just like a frame on a picture, proper edging will enhance the appearance of the garden. Edging will set your garden apart from the rest of the lawn. Proper edging will bring out the beauty of your garden, and turn it into a work of art.

Several different types of edging are available for your garden. You need to decide which one best fits your garden. A low brick or rock wall, held together with mortar is a popular type of garden edging. It creates a solid, permanent edge to define your garden. But you may or may not have the money to do this, or you may want a less permanent edging. (more…)

by Kathy Case

Alliums are perennials in the genus Allium, and the family Liliaceae. There are about three hundred species in the group, which about seventy of these are native to theUnited States. Most of these grow in theRocky Mountains and inCalifornia. Some of the plants in this group are only four inches tall where others can grow three feet tall.

The leaves on alliums are long, narrow, and flat. The flowers grow in a cluster at the top of the stems. Individually, each flower can be less than a half-inch wide or they can be four inches wide. Alliums can be one of several colors, including but not limited to white, yellow, and red. They can reproduce in three ways depending on species. They can form offsets, they can grow from seeds, or they can form tiny bulbs in the flower head and grow from them. (more…)

Orchids

There are more than 25,000 species of this rare and beautiful cone-shaped flower. Some of them are extremely expensive and hard to come by, but other varieties are affordable, available and simple to grow at home.

Hibiscus

There are 10,000 named varieties of the tropical Hibiscus flower. These beautiful and colorful flowers are emblematic of the tropical environments they come from, such as Florida, Hawaii, Jamaica and India. Hibiscus are wonderful for decoration because the flowers will not wilt until their natural time to close –even without water. Opening buds may be picked early in the day, stored in a cool place and brought out for the evening. Storing Hibiscus in the cold slows down the flowers closing by a few hours. (more…)

The very attractive garden is the wild flower garden. But someone say they have a bad luck with the gardening. You should know that it is not the good luck or bad luck, but it is the understanding and the attention. Each wild flower has the individual personality and characteristic. The plants always desire the environment that they have been accustomed to in the nature. If you take the plants out of their condition, they will sick and die. This is the reason why we should set up the suitable condition for them. You should notice the soil, the place, the condition, the surrounding, the neighbors and the other environments before you choose the wild flower from the nature.

These are the examples:

- If you find the A flower and the B flower are living together, you should put them together in your garden.
- If you find the A flower is living in the open situation, you should growing them in the same place. So if your flowers feel like they are living in their home, they will show the beautiful flower for you. (more…)

Do you love the beauty and color of flowers but cringe at the thought of the maintenance required for their upkeep? If your colorful blooms have a tendency to turn brown and crunchy from neglect in the hotAustin sun, there may be some flowers made just for you. Flora native or adapted to theAustin area thrive where others perish, resisting drought, pests and other hazards. Just choose your plants wisely and you can have fabulous landscaping for your property with little work.

There are many benefits to growing native plants. In addition to saving on water and fertilizer you save on time by choosing plants that thrive in the unique climate of Austin Texas. Your gardening is also more enjoyable when you are not fighting mother nature in an attempt to grow plants that are not suited to the Texas Climate. It is also nice to help maintain the original ecosystem of your locale by promoting local plants and flowers. (more…)

Allium Bulbs
Allium bulbs are perennials in the genus Allium and the family Liliaceae. There are about three hundred species in the group, which about seventy of these are native to theUnited States. Most of these grow in theRocky Mountains and inCalifornia. Some of the plants in this group are only four inches tall where others can grow three feet tall.

The leaves on alliums are long, narrow, and flat. The flowers grow in a cluster at the top of the stems. Individually, each flower can be less than a half-inch wide or they can be four inches wide. Alliums can be one of several colors, including but not limited to white, yellow, and red. They can reproduce in three ways depending on species. They can form offsets, they can grow from seeds, or they can form tiny bulbs in the flower head and grow from them. (more…)

It’s time we started showing some respect and gratitude for the underappreciated earthworm and his boy back-up band, fungi & bacteria. They are the true humble heroes and workhorses who do the necessary dirty work to keep your soil full of nutrients.

Yet, in our home gardens, we’re constantly killing earthworms with synthetic fertilizers. We’re baking them to a crisp with unnatural, high-levels of nitrogen and salts. Worms don’t want to see any neon colored manmade crystals.

Remember, earthworms are garden superstars, but they don’t insist on the center-stage spotlight! They thrive in moisture and dark. All they require is some good old fungi, bacteria, a banana peel or two and yesterday’s sports page to create nature’s best fertilizer in their castings, for free!

5 Dirt Diva Reasons Why Gardeners Should Love Earthworms (Eisenia foetida) (more…)

If you like the look of tiny flowers on your bonsai, then choose ideal flowering trees to nurture into miniature versions of their species. Here are a few of the best choices for flowering bonsai:

Mt. Fuji Serissa Mt. Fuji Serissa is noted for its brilliant white colorings on the outer edges of its leaves. It also blooms a single white flower in summer.

Proper care: likes lots of warmth and sun so place in an appropriate spot. Wait for the soil to dry before watering and take care to keep away from frost.

Okinawa Holly This tree has tiny pink flowers that bloom during the spring and summer. The leaves are glossy, deep green with serrated edges. It’s unique, hardy and easy to care for. (more…)

If you follow these 5 tips for successful container gardening you will not only save time, but money, frustration and possibly embarrassment. As this is an increasingly popular venue for gardening, container gardening is making a fashion statement. Container gardens are already very popular for entries, patios and decks. Maybe you’ve thought about incorporating them into your office or home, but haven’t. If by chance you feel a little overwhelmed on the basics, here are 5 tips for successful container gardening, even if it’s your first.

Before you run off in all directions as if you had 2 hours to create a masterpiece, pause to do some planning. First think about what type of feeling you want to have, when you look at your container. For me, I want to feel like I’ve walked into my own “secret garden” and have a sense of calm. I think about how it will smell, and feel among other things. Is it going to be a focal point in a room, or mixed in as part of a theme? Will it be the centerpiece on a table, or placed in a semi-lit hallway? (more…)

A is for Alyssum, which makes a carpet of tiny blooms in whites, reds, and pinks.

B is for Begonia, which have dainty pink, red, or white flowers.

C is for Celosia, which have velvety red and orange plumes.

D is for Dahlia, which produce huge flowers in purple, red, pink, orange, or yellow.

E is for Everlasting, which annuals are not – they only bloom for one year. (more…)

Flowers are available all year round with exotic and tropical flowers being grown under heat or imported from all corners of the world the choices are varied and affordable. There are so many different occasions when sending flowers can be apt, a thoughtful and special way to show someone you care about them or are thinking about them.

Spring flowers are epitomized by the arrival of scented narcissus, lily of the valley, Genista and lilac incorporated with daffodils, tulips and grape hyacinths creations of spring bouquets and basket arrangements brighten the senses and lift the spirits. A single spring flower variety interspersed with cherry blossoms or Viburnum opulus, also known as the snowball tree, look bright and fresh in any home. Arrangements of yellow, limes and white give a clean, sharp injection of colour to awaken the senses. (more…)

When it comes to great summer flowers, just about anybody can go to the store and buy some that are ready to be displayed in their house, but there’s a certain satisfaction that comes from planting and raising your own flowers for the summer season. Here are a handful of tips to keep in mind when planting your own summer flowers this season.

Prepare the Soil

Take the time well ahead of when you plan to plant the seeds to really prepare the soil you’re going to use. Make sure to dig about six inches deep and give the soil a good turning over, and then be sure to add fertilizer, mulch, or compost to really get the nutrients into the soil that your flowers are going to want.

Doing this ahead of time ensures that when you are ready to plant you don’t have to worry about the soil not being ready, or having to spend extra hours preparing it and then planting your flowers. A little preparation can save you a huge amount of time later. (more…)

Flowering landscape trees are the crown jewels of the yard. Perhaps no other plants, individually, can have as great an impact on how a yard looks in spring. Browse the articles to which I’ve linked below for information on particular varieties of flowering landscape trees. Pictures are included.

Crape Myrtles: Landscape Trees of the South

A popular choice in flowering landscape trees for Southerners, crape myrtles have a long blooming period (mid-summer to fall). The blooming clusters of these flowering landscape trees come in pink, white, red and lavender. The clusters appear on the tips of new wood. Northerners can sometimes get away with treating these flowering landscape trees as perennials that die back in winter but come back in spring. (more…)

The activity of gardening is gaining in popularity since it is being viewed as an extremely rewarding pastime that provides plenty of fresh air, exercise, and “beautiful” results. But most people are not content with just a garden full of ordinary plants, but wish to create a landscape of extraordinary flowers! And so the entry of “flower gardening”!

But wait a minute! There should be no mistaken belief that creating a garden full of flowers is an easy task. It involves tough physical labor and demands dedication. Only then will you be able to produce a “work of art”.

Any outdoor activity should be acceptable to the surrounding ecosystem; so also flower gardening. The suggestions listed below should help you to grow healthy plants–

(1) It is important to know the “hardiness zone” of the area you are located in. The USA and lower Canada have been divided into various hardiness zones by the USDA, according to a 10-degree Fahrenheit difference in the average minimum temperature. This division will allow you to note which plants can survive in which zones (seed packets or flower guides carry this information), and you can purchase the appropriate flowers for your garden.   (more…)

One of the oldest hobbies known to man, gardening has with stood the test of time as a hobby. It is not only enjoyable but fruitful as well in more ways than one because plants actually bear fruits. You can grow your own flower and vegetables and even fruit. Gardening is a hobby which is easy and gives you exercise and exposure to sunlight as well.

If You Want To Grow Tomatoes

If you are starting out and want to grow tomatoes, remember that are easy plants to grow. As there are more than 25,000 varieties available, you will be able to find a variety which will be suitable for your soil and weather conditions. Tomatoes can he used a large number of recipes and can be used raw or cooked. It is a delight to watch tomatoes growing in your garden as you get to see tomatoes going from green to red before your eyes.

There are two ways to grow tomatoes. You can either buy the immature plants and plant them, or you can grow them from seeds. Just remember that if you are growing them from seed, you need to plant the seeds at least six to eight weeks before the last expected frost.   (more…)

When planting a garden there are many questions which you must ask yourself before you begin. Where are you going to plant it, do you have the garden equipment to do so and how big do you want your garden to be? When do flowers bloom and what are their heights? These are all very important questions, however they mean very little if you have not yet decided which types of flowers you want to plant. There are many to choose from and don’t le anybody tell you which ones you can and can’t plant. Gardens are unique and fascinating to look at because each one is unique it its own way.There are endless possibilities of flowers to choose from but if you are unsure of which types of flowers are known to look best in gardens, keep reading and you will find out. The following is a list of the five most popular types of garden flowers chosen by gardeners from all over the United States: (more…)

The loveliness of flowering plants needs little embellishment by description. Certainly every gardener seeks the beauty and color that can be brought to his grounds by a variety of flowers. The proper arrangement of flower beds in your garden and attentive care to them can insure you a continuing bloom of lovely flowers year after year.

For with planning, it is possible to maintain flowers in your garden during the entire length of the growing season. Borders and beds are planted with flowering annuals and perennials which bloom at different periods during the year. By choosing carefully initially, and by caring for the flowers thereafter, the blooms will overlap each other, so that there will never be a period when an old bloom disappears but that a new one will start to show its color. (more…)

Each year there are plants that make an appearance and this is where perennial gardening plays an important role. It is necessary for most plants to be grown either from seeds or by way of transplants each year. Perennial gardening comprises of plants such as iris, caladium, yucca, aloe, hibiscus and tulips that when grown in suitable settings will reappear every year. For instance, yuccas bloom in the southwest desert. There is not a soul to tend to them, nonetheless they continue to develop and flourish.

A perennial garden once established in no way indicates that it is all but removed from memory. A gardener who wishes to appreciate the pretty visions on display in his garden should invest time and effort in nurturing and looking after his garden.

Ahead of setting up the garden, it is necessary for the gardener to bear in mind certain factors such as the ideal garden location, the right quantity of water and sunshine that the garden will receive and the extent of involvement by the gardener. Gardens that are planned to endure some degree of benign disregard also require intermittent care. In case the gardener wishes to have a perennial garden, which requires very little maintenance, he can in no way hope to have fast growing plants or those that require assistance with pollination. (more…)

Flower farming is getting more and more popular each day. Flowers may be light up everyone’s day, they smell trivial, and are a great hobby. Flower farming is simple, low-charge, and stacks of entertaining. Flower farming may be made for yard decoration, only as a hobby, or even professionally. There are a few determinations that have to be attained before yet flower farming may be happening. You must uncover if you want annuals that seat up for one time and must be replanted yearly, or perennials that outlast the wintertime and response again in the summertime. While purchasing and planting, pay thought to what species of plants increase in your climate as well ass the sun requirements. While flower farming, you must determine what typeface of look you wish before planting. For request, fusing different heights, flag, and kinds of flora collectively in a “feral-bury way” will give your plot a pasture look and may be very enjoyable. If small flora are planted in the principal of your backyard and get up to the tallest plants in the back you will have a “stepping kernel grace.” You may order seeds for flower gardening from catalogues or buy them from a greenhouse. (more…)

The beauty of flora with their enjoyable perfume, faintness and manifold insignia charm the people around the world. There are many types of flora found around the world.

The plants can be classified in many habits according to the purpose. Their beauty mendacity in their suppleness, their pleasant aroma and their diverse flag. Flowers have also enjoyed exclusive place in the hearts of lovers and poets. Many different types of plants can also be found in mythology, sacred signs and myths of different races.

In the broader brains, the types of plants can be classified as three groups , Single Flowers, Clusters and Inflorescence. Single Flowers are found at the tip of the long follow on the diverge of the conceal. Magnolia and Tulip are examples of this capture. Clusters are a group of flowers compactly formed in kindling. Pentas, mango and firethorn are some examples of this brand of flowers. Inflorescence is arrangement of groups of flowers. The spectacle has a great assortment in among different types of flowers. (more…)